Page 36 - Voice for Life Songbook 1

10. Now go in peace
Introduction
The melody of this song is a Caribbean folksong.The words have been written by Michael Mair. It can be used as a blessing at the end of a service or school assembly.
Preparation
One of the most interesting features of this song is its rhythm.You could prepare before singing by doing some clapping games:
􏰁 Ask singers to ‘keep the beat in their feet’ by treading lightly on the spot.
􏰁 Clap a number of rhythms and ask your singers to clap them back as an echo.Try to include some of the rhythms from the song (especially the syncopated rhythm in bar 3). Can they feel the way in which some rhythms work across the main beats of the bar?
􏰁 Ask other members of the group to lead the clapping – you could also try including other forms of body percussion such as finger clicks, slapping knees etc.
Teaching the song
The song starts on an off beat. If singers aren’t sure about where to start the entry will probably be late, particularly if they don’t take a breath early enough.You may need to count them in to begin with: sug- gest that they begin breathing at the beginning of your count.
Musical skills and understanding
What does syncopation mean? Can anyone identify the syncopated rhythms in this song?
The first two bars of the melody form a scalic pattern, moving in tones and semitones. What is the difference between a tone and a semitone? Can you identify the pattern of tones and semitones at the start of the piece?
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Track 10
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